Monday, July 19, 2010

It's been nearly a month since I posted last. I'd love to say I'd gotten in 15-20 more run/walk sessions since then, but I haven't. Today was my 3rd since my last post. Lori had some times she couldn't do it, I had some times I couldn't do it, and then a few excuses thrown in there.... all that combined adds up to no running.

This morning we got up and went for it. I didn't want to. I'll be honest. I wanted to curl back up in bed with my quilt that my grandmother made me and my pillow. I got up a little late, but I got up. I resisted the urge to tell Lori stay home and get some more sleep. I told her that while I really would rather sleep, I needed to run. She got here a little after 6AM, and we were off.

She changed things up on me, and we didn't take our usual route. I wasn't enthused about the new route we were going to take. It included more hills - and the first one she wanted me to run the entire way to the top. I honestly can't remember if I made it or not. I mean, I made it to the top of the hill, but I can't remember if I ran the whole way. If not the whole way, I made it a good bit up. It was nice to take a different route, and we're going to do it again tomorrow, for the most part, tomorrow... with a little bit of a change up.

So, today Lori and I went 3.11 miles in an hour and two minutes. That's 4/10 of a mile farther than last time, and 1 minute faster. I ran more than I've ever run before, ran up more hills than I have ever run before, my stride length has improved, and I didn't have to stop for any stretching. Lori usually stops the time on her watch/GPS if I need to stop so that the time she gets is actual movement time. She didn't have to stop it for me today!

I lasted a good bit longer in the run/walk before I got really tired, and it hit me fast. I was fine, and then I was hurting. But this was with less than a mile to go. The hardest part was the hill that leads right up to my house. It's right after a cul-de-sac that we run, so usually we walk up the hill to my house. Today, we ran the cul-de-sac, and Lori said we were going to run to the top of the hill. I was hurting and tired. I think by the time I reached the top I was making a lot of noise and nearly in tears. Not the "I-hurt-and-want-to-quit--- whining type tears," but rather the kind that come to the surface when you know you are giving all you have and trying to summon the strength to make it just that much farther. So, by the time we reached the top all the energy I was trying to drag up from my toes I thing I just expelled with a nice "Aaaaarrrrrgggghhhhhh."

It felt good to make it. To push myself. To know that I'm getting stronger. I am not an athlete, mentally. People tell me I am because I work out, I run, I've done a race. I don't feel like one, though. I don't have that drive to push myself on my own. I'm so thankful that Lori is there to push me. I know the day will come when I'll have the drive to push myself. I look forward to when Lori and I can go out for a run, and it's not her pushing me, but us pushing each other.